Chaos erupts at Kenya election count

By Andrew Cawthorne and George Obulutsa

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Chaos broke out at Kenya's main ballot results centre on Saturday when an opposition politician repeatedly demanded a recount in one constituency, prompting scuffles, shouting and police intervention.

Tension reached boiling point late on Saturday afternoon, as Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) results showed opposition leader Raila Odinga just ahead of President Mwai Kibaki with about a fifth of results left to come in.

Both sides have claimed victory and accusations of vote rigging have sparked ethnic violence across the country.

In Nairobi, officials' attempts to read out the results were heckled by angry party members frustrated by the slow pace of the count. At one point the process was halted when the election board chairman was driven from the stage.

James Orengo, of the Orange Democratic Movement, grabbed a microphone to stop ECK Chairman Samuel Kivuitu reading out figures disputed by the opposition. Paramilitary police then rushed in to calm tempers.

"Nobody can push me, not even you!" Kivuitu told politicians as he resumed his seat ten minutes later. "But if it is impossible for me to carry on (with) my work, I can go home."

"We are Kenyans, not beasts," added Kivuitu, who has set up the ECK headquarters at a Nairobi conference centre, surrounded by armed guards to guard against protests outside.

At one point, a pastor and presidential candidate grabbed the microphone to calm the whistling and shouting crowd by bowing his head to pray for peace.

"Almighty God, whoever wins, we pray there will not be bloodshed," said Pius Mwangi Muiru -- an also-ran for the presidency -- as several hundred journalists, party members and election officials also clasped their hands in prayer.

Government heavyweight Martha Karua stood up after one scuffle to bellow into a microphone: "This election should be won by the ballot, not by shouting."

A Kenyan TV anchorwoman let slip an unfortunate comment live on air as her station beamed images of the chaos.

"These guys don't know how to rig properly, like Moi used to," she said, referring to the fraud-ridden era of former President Daniel arap Moi.

As both sides claimed victory, Kivuitu urged restraint with his typical dry wit.

"How many times have we met mad people on the road saying 'I own this shop,' and the man has no trousers?" he asked. "I can even announce that I am president of Kenya. Will that make me president of Kenya?"

(Editing by Michael Winfrey)